JOINT CHINA-PHILIPPINES OIL AND GAS EXPLORATION TO BE DISCUSSED ON ASEAN MEETING

The Philippine government tried to encourage its Southeast Asian neighbors about associating with China in oil and gas exploration in the disputed sea, last Wednesday.

Foreign Secretary Alan Cayetano said President Rodrigo Duterte’s dropping of predecessor’s policy in opposing China’s claim will not be a unilateral action because the president just wanted to have peace and stability in the Philippines relation to China.

The President also said, associating with China will develop oil and gas fields in the Philippines’ exclusive economic zone. Meanwhile, the Philippines had been in discussion with China over the joint exploration a day later the Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi visited the Philippines.

However, Cayetano declined to say if the joint Philippines-China exploration would be in specific areas of the sea which also claimed by the ASEAN members Vietnam, Malaysia, Brunei.